As we work through the fall months and get closer to winter, we are seeing more and more states reopen under looser restrictions. Hopefully, this means we’re inching closer to a normal state of living.
But for now, these reopenings equate to more traffic and higher needs for effective cleaning teams. Before you consider reopening to full capacity, you should ask these 5 questions to make sure you’re doing it in a way that keeps your workers and customers safe.
What are your hours like?
Every office and organization has different needs, whether it’s a 9-to-5 establishment or an around-the-clock affair. Some buildings may still need to rely on increased business during shorter windows to allow time for proper cleaning and disinfecting.
Once you know your new hours, you can manage how you rotate your employees’ shifts. This is vital to making sure you know where the highest traffic is, as well as how regularly you need to sanitize.
Are you up to date with CDC guidelines?
It falls on each of us to keep up with the CDC as its knowledge of the SARS-CoV-2 virus expands. During your reopening, do you have a dedicated person in charge of monitoring the ever-evolving guidelines? If they change drastically, do you have a hygiene program in place to react with the updates?
Ensuring your facility is confident in necessary cleaning routines but flexible enough to change them as the pandemic continues is key.
Does your facility have touchless dispensers?
Reducing transmission is a vital part of keeping people safe. As reopenings mean more contact, objectives should focus on removing means of contact with touchless dispensers. The bathroom is always a hot spot for dirt and germs, but motion-sensing sinks, towel dispensers, and even trash cans all remove high-traffic touchpoints that normally foster high-risk transmission.
Knowing whether you do or do not have touchless dispensers can help you manage your sanitization routines beyond just the bathroom. The affordable stand-up dispensers for hand sanitizer provide easy access for employees and customers in public places but also become a high touchpoint risk for germs that you’ll need to regularly sanitize.
Have you upgraded your HVAC systems with HEPA/UV?
Long-term business operation during the pandemic, as we’ve discussed before, relies on efficient filters to keep your employees safe. Upgrading your HVAC systems with HEPA-grade filters can increase your air purification and decrease the risk of transmission.
For particularly heavy traffic zones, you may want to consider UV lighting additions to your HVAC systems as these, coupled with HEPA filters, greatly decrease risk by killing mold and microbe growth in the air and on the filter coils.
Does your cleaning team help you restock your PPE and supplies?
Having a dedicated cleaning team on your staff is necessary during the pandemic. As things reopen and economic traffic increases, PPE and cleaning supplies are vital to keep stocked.
You’ll need to make sure that, on top of cleaning and disinfecting touchpoint surfaces, your team communicates and helps you manage your inventory. If you run out, it doesn’t matter how open the state restrictions are, you won’t be providing a safe environment for employees and customers.
Where does that leave you?
The sixth question is do you need a team? The answer, during the pandemic, is always yes. When it comes to reopening, you need a cleaning team that regularly keeps up on the CDC’s updates and adapts their cleaning shifts accordingly. A cleaning team keeps your offices running, your facility sanitized, and your employees safe.
With Maintenance 1, you can have that team. We’re not only able to provide regular cleaning services tailored specifically to your facility’s needs but will also lend our expertise to assist you in the sanitization management of your organization. Request a proposal today and have a team that’s there for you during the challenge of reopening.
